Therapy helps those with autism navigate adulthood

For young people with autism, the leap to adulthood can feel like jumping off a cliff, but researchers may be zeroing in on a safety net.

In a small study, young adults who had one of two psychotherapies were better able to deal with the thinking, flexibility and social awareness challenges of autism. They were also more employable as a result, because those issues can often hold adults with autism back, particularly in the workplace.

A larger, follow-up study is in the works. Lead researcher Shaun Eack hopes it will confirm the initial findings, a key to popularizing the therapies and getting insurers to pay for them. Help for adults with autism is hard to come by, he noted.